Climbing toy



A ril 24, 1951 R. K. HALLUM 2,550,065

CLIMBING TOY Filed July 17, 1947 Robert K, Hal/um swoon tom PatentedApr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toys.

The invention deals particularly with string actuated toys of the typewherein a figure or other object is caused to climb or descend avertical length of string or cord, apparently without any effort or aidon the part of the user or operator of the toy.

One object of the invention is to provide a toy including a figurinesuitably mounted upon a vertically stretched cord and adapted to descendthe cord in a series of steps under the action and operation of thecomponents of said figurine.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a toy, of thecharacter described, which will' An important object of the invention isto provide an improved toy having a suitable cord or other elongateflexible element upon which a suitable weighted figurine is flexibly andmovably mounted with provision being made so that the operator of thetoy may cause the figurine to move upwardly along the cord or downwardlytherealong, the direction of movement and the change 2.

of direction of movement being affected at any time and at any point orplace along the cord and entirely at the will of the operator. 3

A construction designed to carr out the in vention will be hereinafterdescribed together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a toy, constructed in accordance with theinvention, and showing the several positions of the figurine in dottedlines,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in side elevation, of themounting means for connecting the figurine to the cord,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, illus- 2 trating the operationof the toy when ascending the cord,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation, illustrating the operation ofthe toy when descending the cord, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken immediately above thelower loop illustrating the movement of the supporting card within theloop.

In the drawing, the numeral l0 designates an elongate cord or string, orother suitable elongate, flexible member in the nature of a cord, suchas a small, flexible, metallic cable, which may be usable in connectionwith the present invention. The cord it! carries a loop H at its upperend, said loop being suitable for the reception of the finger or severalfingers of the hand A of the operator of the toy. A similar, somewhatlarger, loop I2 is provided at the lower extremity of the cord and isadapted to receive the toe or foot B of the user of the toy.

A suitable weight or figurine l3, which may be in the nature of a dollas shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, or which may be a reproduction of anyother desired object, such as a small animal ora geometrical figure, isadapted to be secured or connected to the cord I0. For the purposes ofsimplicity, the figurine l3 has been replaced in Figs. 2 through 4 by aball or sphere I3! However, it is to be kept in mind that an type offigure or object may be employed so long asit possesses the necessarymass or weight.

The figurine is secured to the outer end of an elongate, straight,spring rod or wire M,fthe wire being of a resilient nature and formedpreferably of a spring material such as high carbon steel. A ring orloop I5 is formed upon the inner end of the wire [4 and is preferablyoval-shaped with its longer dimension in alinement with the longitudinalaxis of the wire l4 so that the loop in effect forms a continuation ofsaid wire. The plane of the loop I5 is at an angle with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the wire l4 so that when said loop is in ahorizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 2, the wire 14 projects laterallyandslightly upwardly therefrom.

The loop l 5 carries a vertically-extending connecting wire or bar I6projecting thereabove, the upper end of the wire being formed into aring helical coil l1 somewhat less in cross-sectional area than saidloop. Of course, if desired, the coil H, the wire Hi, the loop l5, andthe wire l4 may all be formed from one single piece of spring wire so asto simplify and reduce the cost of the manufacture of the device. Suchis the preferred form of the invention, but it, is to be kept in mindthat this mounting structure may be fabricated from a number of separateelements or pieces of wire secured or fastened together by suitablemeans, such as welding or brazing, or in some other suitable fashion.

The cord 10 extends through the coil l1 and also through the loop IE, itbeing pointed out that the wire from which this mounting structure isformed is preferably of somewhat smaller diameter than the cord In so asto be capable of engaging the cord with a considerable degree offriction. Obviously, if the wire from which the mounting structure isformed is too large in diameter, or if the cord 10 is quite inflexiblein nature, the desired frictional engagement will not be obtained andthe operation of the toy, to be described hereinafter, will beconsiderably impaired.

In the operation of the toy, the cord In is stretched in a taut mannerbetween the foot B and the hand A of the user or operator of the toy.The figurine l3 may be assumed to be positioned somewhere near thecentral portion of the cord being con e t d e o y m ns of th coil 11 andthe loop I501" the wire 14, the outer end of which carries saidfigurine. Due to the considerable mass of the figurine and the resilientor spring-like nature of the wire M, as well as the length of thelatter, the figurine may be caused to commence vibratory movement in aVertical plane by suitable lifting or depression of the figurine todeflect and bend the spring wire 14, which, upon release, in attemptingto return to its straightened position, will start the figurine swingingin a vertical arc in the manner of a pendulum. Even without theinfluence of forces tending to continue this vibratory movement, thefigurine will continue to oscillate in a .vertical re era cons a e ri dbec u e i i s. mas and the spring nature of the wire [4, as described hre n eferes ho in 2 h v or e ga hap of the loop l will allow the cordin, in effect, to

move from one end of said loop to the other as illustrated by the fulland dotted line positions of said cord. It is this relative movement ofthe cord back and forth within the loop [5 which causes thetoy to eitherascend or descend the cord [0. Also th coil and loop and theirconnecting wire or bar may be formed of a single element having atapered bore or passage. In effect such a passage is formed by the coil,loop an b r- In"Eig. 3 is illustrated the operation of the toy inascending the cord, the figurine l3 being replaced by the ball or spherel3 for the purposes of simplicity. The full line illustration of the t nhis view ws th s n f. th all 13 as i n a s t center f its downwar swing.At this point, the cord I0 is substantially' in the center of the loopI5 so that the ends of said "loop are not frictionally engaging thecord. However, due to the considerable mass of the ball IS with respectto the mass of the relatively light wire I4 and loop and coil structuresI5 and I1, there is very little tendency for the loop to move downwardlywith respect to the cord during such downward movement of said ball. Theball passes fairly quickly to its lower-' most position wherein theleft-hand end of the loop, as viewed in Fig. 3, frictionally engages thecord and prevents movementof the loop with respectthereto. Thisfrictional engagement also inner end of the wire I and halts thedownward swing of the ball I3. Being placed under a bending stress, thewire i4 causes the ball to commence its swing upward to its uppermostposition as shown in dotted lines.

To cause the toy to ascend the cord, the operator allows said cord toslack a bit as the ball l3, or the figure I3, reaches its lowermostpoint of swing. As soon as the ball starts to swing upwardly, the cordis suddenly tightened by the operator so as to snap. the wire IE to anupright position and give added impetus to the ball l3 in its upwardtravel or swing. Being under the influence of this added momentum orimpetus, the ball moves upwardly rather quickly and with considerableforce. 7 In the course of its upward travel and as it reaches theposition again represented by the full line illustration in Fig. 3,wherein the cord I0 is free to pass through the loop l5, the ball,because of its considerably larger mass, causes the loop to moveupwardly along the cord to the dotted line position shown. As the ballcontinues its upward swing and forces the right-hand end of the loopinto engagement w th the c rd. e upward m ve ent of he l op is haltedand shortly thereafter the resilient force exerted by the wire l4 stopsthe upward swing of the ball. The dotted lines shown in Fig. 3illustrate this position of the toy. The ball l3 then begins to dropboth underthe force of gravity and the force exerted by the wire l4 andagain passes to its lowermost position from which the operator ma causethe toy to rise a further distance-along the cord byan alternateslackening and tightening of; the cord. Thus, the operator of the toymay cause the figurine to apparently climb the cord it by a slightloosening or reducing of the tension placed upon the cord II) as thefigurine reaches the lowermost point of its swing and by suddenlytightening or increasing the tension placed upon the cord I 0 as thefigurine commences its upward swing,

To permit the figurine todescend the cord, the operator merely holdssaid cord under a reasonable degree of tension and allows the figurineto oscillate or vibrate upon the wire it. Thisoper ation is illustratedin Fig. 4, the solid line illustrations showing the position of the toy.upon the cord as the ball l3, rep-resenting the figurine I3, approachesor leaves the central portion of its swing. In this position, the cordis within the central portion of the loop and is not binding upon eitherend thereof. During the downward swing of the ball 13', there will berelatively. little movement of the loop with respect to the cord for thereasons set forth hereinbefo-re. However, the ball, in swingingupwardly, travels a little slower due to the fact that it is overcomingthe force of gravity through theresilient nature of the wire M. In thisslightly slower, upward travel, the ball, through its reluctance to moveupwardly exerts a downwardly-directed force via the wire I4 upon theloop 15. Thus, as the ball nears its central position in its upwardswing, the loop will be moved downwardly along the cord during theperiod of time beforerthe ball completes its upward swing and causes theright-hand side of the loop to friotionally engage and bind upon thiscord, as shown in dotted lines i F g. 2. Having reached its upperposition, the ball is stopped by the flexing of the wire M and caused torever its direction of movement and begins its downward swing. In thedownward swing, the ball displays very little tendency to cause the loop15 to move downwardly since the force of gravity is aiding the ball insuch downward movement. Conversely, the force of gravity impedes theupward movement of the ball so that such movement must be effectedsubstantially solely by means of the wire 14, whereby a considerablygreater tendency to cause the inner or looped end of the wire to moveopposite the ball is displayed.

The operator of the toy may at will cause it to move downwardly alongthe cord by merely hold ing the cord in a taut position, or he may causethe toy to climb or ascend the cord by alternate slackening andtightening of the latter.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof andvarious changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in thedetails of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope ofthe appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A toy including, an elongate flexible element in the nature of a cordadapted to be held taut in a substantially vertical position, a memberhaving a vertical passage receiving the flexible element, said passagebeing larger at the lower end than the upper end, an elongate springextending laterally from the member, and a weight secured to the outerend or" the spring, whereby the member is caused to ascend or descend onthe flexible element upon manipulations of said element.

2. A toy including, an elongate flexible element in the nature of a cordadapted to be held taut in a substantially vertical position, a memberhaving a vertical passage receiving the flexible element, aid passagebeing larger at the lower end than the upper end and being oval inoutline at the lower end, an elongate spring extending laterally fromthe member, and a weight secured to the outer end of the spring, wherebythe member is caused to ascend or descend on the flexible element uponmanipulations of said element.

3. A toy including, an elongate flexible element in the nature of a cordadapted to be held taut in a substantially vertical position, a memberhaving a vertical passage receiving the flexible element, said passagebeing larger at the lower end than the upper end and being oval inoutline at the lower end, an elongate spring extending laterally fromthe member, and a figurine secured to the outer end of the spring,whereby the member is caused to ascend or descend on the flexibleelement upon manipulations of said element.

4. A toy including, an elongate cord-like ele-,

ment adapted to be held taut in a substantially vertical position, a bardisposed in substantially parallel relation with the element, a ring atthe upper end of the bar encircling the element, a ring at the lower endof the bar encircling the element, the lower ring being larger than theupper ring, an elongate spring extending laterally from the bar and ringstructure, and a weight secured to the outer end of the spring, wherebythe bar and its rings are caused to ascend or descend on the cord-likeeleme -1 manipulations of said element.

5. A toy including, an elongate cord-like element adapted to be heldtaut in a substantially vertical position, a bar disposed insubstantially parallel relation with the element, a ring at the 5 upperend of the bar encircling the element, a loop at the lower end of thebar encircling the element, said loop being oval in shape and largerthan the ring, an elongate spring extending laterally from the bar andloop structure, and a weight secured to the outer end of the spring,whereby the bar and loop structure is caused to ascend or descend onsaid cord-like element upon manipulation of said element.

6. A toy including, an elongate cord-like element adapted to be heldtaut in a substantially vertical position, a bar disposed insubstantially parallel relation with the element, a ring at the upperend of the bar encircling the element, a loop at the lower end of thebar encircling the element, said loop being larger than the ring, anelongate spring extending laterally and slightly upwardly from the barand loop structure, and a weight secured to the outer end of the spring,whereby the bar and loop structure is caused to ascend or descend onsaid cord-like element upon manipulations of said element.

7. A toy including, an elongate cord-like element adapted to be heldtaut in a substantially vertical position, a wire disposed insubstantially end of the wire being formed into a coil encircling theelement, the lower end of the wire being formed into a loop encirclingthe element, an elongate spring extending laterally from the loop, and aweight secured to the outer end of the spring, whereby the coil iscaused to ascend or descend on the cord-like element upon manipulationsof said element.

8. A toy including, an elongate cord-like element adapted to be heldtaut in a substantially vertical position, a wire disposed insubstantially parallel relation with the element, the upper end of thewire being formed into a coil encircling the element, the lower end ofthe wire being formed into an oval loop encircling the element,

an elongate spring extending laterally and slightly upwardly from theloop, the longitudinal axis of the spring being approximately parallelto the longer dimension of the oval loop, the spring, the loop, the wireand the coil being formed from one piece of sprin wire, and a figurinesecured to the outer end of the spring, whereby the coil is caused toascend or descend on the cord-like element upon manipulations of saidelement.

9. A toy as set forth in claim 4 wherein the bar is substantiallyshorter than the spring.

ROBERT Kl HALLUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS parallel relation with the element, the upper

